Tomoe Nakatomi
| birthday = May 17 | age = Unknown | gender = Female | height = 164 cm | weight = 68 kg | eyes = Brown | hair = Blonde | blood type = B+ | affiliation = , | previous affiliation = Nakatomi Clan | occupation = Seventh Seat of the , | previous occupation = Sixteenth Seat of the | team = , , | previous team = | partner = Unknown | previous partner = Unknown | base of operations = Seireitei, | marital status = Single | relatives = Nakatomi Household | education = Shinō Academy | status = Active | shikai = Unnamed | bankai = Not Yet Achieved }} Tomoe Nakatomi (巴中臣, Nakatomi Tomoe) is the first-born daughter and heir to the prestigious Nakatomi Clan, one of 's whose members are famous for having held a position within the since its founding. She formerly held the position of Sixteenth Seat within the , but was later promoted to the Seventh Seat of the , in order to make use of her "special skill". Stationed in the , she serves under her corps commander as part of the Torture and Interrogation Unit (拷問・尋問部隊, Gomon/Jinmon Butai). Appearance Tomoe appears as a young, slender adolescent woman with quite a bit of natural beauty. She has wavy blonde hair reaching until her chin, with the bangs on her forehead cut falling just short of her eyes. In addition to this, she possesses deep brown eyes, a characteristic said to have been passed down the Nakatomi family for generations. Tomoe's build, though slender, reveals much about her upbringing, as contrary to what one would expect at first glance, her body is very sinewy without so much as an inch of unnecessary fat. Living the life of both an Ōjo-sama and an officer of the , Tomoe's wardrobe reflects these two radically different positions. When residing with her family, Tomoe is shown wearing both traditional Japanese clothing as well as more modern outfits consisting of skirts and heels, so much that a colleague who encountered her like this commented that it looked like she was celebrating Shichigosan. When on duty, Tomoe is seen wearing the standard black Shinigami uniform, though one that has been modified slightly to align more with her body and allow for more rapid movement. Interestingly, Tomoe has also been shown in a camouflaged variant of the Onmitsukidō uniform, reminiscent of a real-world military uniform, though she herself commented that this was more out of a fashion experiment by her commander rather than having any actual purpose. Personality Tomoe is a noble lady, no matter what her profession makes her seem otherwise. For this reason, her upbringing was quite different from most other children, undergoing courses on dinner etiquette and history when most of her peers would be playing outside. Having been raised with the motto that a lady "should be in control of her emotions at all time", Tomoe might come across as distant or aloof during a first encounter. As a child, she would often not pay much heed to this message, laughing and crying whenever either one was appropriate, but throughout her teenage years she began to see the message as a strength of hers, especially among the tight structure of the and as a figure of authority within the . A young woman like Tomoe is far more easily respected or feared even when she keeps a cold stare in the face of aggression or during a heated interrogation and as such she has adapted this noble pretension into a mask. During working hours, within battle and during a new encounter Tomoe rarely slips out of this attitude, to ensure she is not easily dismissed. Of course, Tomoe is not all work and no play. As much as she is a lady and an officer, she is still an adolescent woman, with just as much needs and cares as any other. There has always been a slightly mischievous side to Tomoe's character, coming into play during those rare occasions where she doesn't have to take responsibility for anything. In the company of the few close friends she has, or whenever she is "trapped" at the Nakatomi Manor, Tomoe is always fond of a little prank or escape plan, respectively. Tomoe walks the line between work and private like an equilibrist, drawing whatever fun she can get out of her spare time but never letting it meddle into her professional affairs. It is for this reason that Tomoe is seen as a very strong woman within her surroundings, having grown from a girl that had everything taken care off by daddy into an independent, fearsome woman as good as any male colleague. Even in the Torture and Interrogation Unit, a force of arguably very threatening individuals, she does not have to vail for any of her colleagues in reputation or deeds. Being able to tell truth from otherwise any place, any time is bound to have an impact on a person. While some may deduce the wickedness of the spirit from this, realize that there is no real honesty in society and go mad at this revelation, this was not the case with Tomoe. Instead, this ability in combination with her upbringing lead to the development of a very matter-of-fact attitude: while she realizes that everyone lies, she never considered this a reason to no longer trust others. On the contrary, she might even be in the most favorable position to trust anyone, seeing as how she can easily discern a person's sincerity through mere conversation. That's why Tomoe does not have very few people she considers true comrades, but does however confide in everyone she puts in that group. While Tomoe is a very sturdy woman at this point in time, this was not always the case. During her early childhood, before she entered the , her primary characteristics would have been curious, joyful and - most of all - naive. Having spent most of her early life with only servants and her family as her social contacts, both of them committed in one way or another to care for her, she was not really prepared for an outside world where people where not obliged to love her. During her first year she was quickly regarded as a spoiled, nosy brat with little actual talent other than her annoying habit to point out people's lies. Though she was never really bullied in fear for her father's retribution, she was excluded from any social activities that weren't mandatory and didn't receive any sort of positive attention during the ones that were. It was only due to her noble background that she did not become a loner due to this, biting away her sadness and focusing on improving herself for the years to come, eventually growing towards the personality she has today. Respect for her elders and superiors is deeply rooted within Tomoe's beliefs and as such she will never disobey an order or go against the will of her family. While she has committed several rebel-like acts, primarily to leave the confines of her household when she wasn't supposed to, these were never really anything more than playful devilment, one that no one in the clan would punish her for even if she was caught. Tomoe attends all family meetings, never misses a day of work and even during her somewhat miserable time in the First Division would carry out any dirty task they would shove onto her. That is not to say she doesn't vent about these afterwards among her friends, but even that does not diminish the value she attaches to them. Tomoe hates weakness, both in herself and in other people. On the other hand, she lacks the determination to pursue something that is seemingly unobtainable, the cause of the underdevelopment of some aspects of her fighting capacity. If there is something she cannot do during the first try, she will launch several more attempts, but if there appears to be no progression she will eventually give up and move on with her life, as she does not like to waste her time on pointless endeavors. On the other hand, when Tomoe is confronted with another person she considers "weak", she often has trouble not showing her disgust. While she doesn't reckon weakness that is outside of one's power to be of this nature, any kind of feebleness that could be corrected but for some dumb reason is not irks her greatly. The thing Tomoe hates most is whining over situations when there is clearly a way to remedy them and any person she meets who is guilty of this should not expect any further close interactions with her, even if she doesn't explicitly state it. History Tomoe was born into the Nakatomi Clan as the first-born daughter to its head, an influential member of the . In accordance with this background, she suffered little misfortune growing up, raised to be a proper lady and noble within a family with little military ambition. However, what no one could have foreseen was the unique ability that Tomoe received once she had manifested her reiatsu. From that moment on, even if she was not aware it was something out of the ordinary, she saw through any sort of untruth she came in contact with, no matter if it came from one of the servants, soldiers or one of her own family. Blessed with the naivety of youth, Tomoe never hesitated to point out the lies she was told. At first astonished, later proud of their daughter's talent, the phenomenon created a strangely healthy atmosphere within the Nakatomi Manor. In spite of the feelings of the household, Tomoe's father, who was scarcely home, burdened her with immense expectations once he gained word of her gift. While she had already been trained the etiquette and traditions belonging to the heir of a noble family, he envisioned her to become a major figure on her own as well and sent her to the , a quite uncommon practice within the clan. Tomoe, taught to never go against her elders, agreed to this but was also quite excited for it herself. She had been living a rather secluded life for most of her childhood, and the thought of living among and learning with other children agitated her greatly. Being accepted into the Academy without any problems (whether this was due to her natural talents or father's influence remains unanswered), Tomoe quickly experienced that the outside was not as kind towards her "gift" as the walled-off world she had known before. Pointing out other's lies is not a great way to make friends, and before Tomoe could learn when it was better to keep her mouth shut the damage had already been done. Fellow students would call her "Princess" and avoid any extracurricular activity with her, both out of hate and fear for what Tomoe could reveal about them. But as the year ended, students dropped out and classes shifted, Tomoe managed to find herself in a more healthy environment, with people who could care about her as long as she had enough tact. Everyone knew who she was, but the few who decided not to base their acts on rumors became her very best friends. Once she had graduated, Tomoe wasn't really considered anything exceptional by the instructors. While she had demonstrated some potential during courses and physical tests, her scores were only average in every other field and she wasn't even close to discovering the name of her zanpakutō. Her lie detection was little more than a rumor between students or an annoyance at most. Anyone else wouldn't have been destined for anything more than an Unseated position within one of the lower-end Divisions, but Tomoe's father was able to pull enough strings for Tomoe to end up as a Sixteenth Seat, of the none the less. The experience was a bit of a déjà-vu for Tomoe, a flashback to her first year at the Academy. But this time was different in the fact that she was far stronger, both physically and mentally. She didn't care if people whispered that she was out of place, that she hadn't done anything to deserve the position. Instead, she focused on doing things that prevented her from losing the position, as a way of establishing her claim to the Seat. Eventually, throughout her daily tasks, Tomoe's talent resurfaced, but by now she herself had become properly aware of what it really meant, and so did her superiors. Eventually, word reached who, in accordance with the Detention Corps commander, filed for Tomoe to be promoted to her division's Seventh Seat. Synopsis Powers & Abilities : The Nakatomi clan were always noted for their political power, never really their spiritual and Tomoe is no real exception to this fact. While her spiritual power is by no means disappointing, in comparison to those who hold her position in the other divisions there is quite a gap in power, seeing how the circumstances of her promotion were quite unique. While she was bothered by this at first, Tomoe's corps commander reassured her by telling that the have no need for giant reiatsu supplies. In fact, seeing how a smaller amount is more easily hidden, it might even be an advantage she possesses over others. When released, Tomoe's reiatsu appears as a white, almost silk-like color and has the aura of being "both soft and firm". *'Reiatsu Suppression:' Though she has yet to completely master it, Tomoe has shown a knack for suppressing her reiatsu in order to hide her existence from others and often utilizes this to sneak out of the Nakatomi Manor. However, skilled Shinigami such as are still capable of easily detecting her. Enhanced Strength: After her zanpakutō manifested in the form of a baton, Tomoe found herself having little use for the teachings she had received in the Shinō Academy, as they were all direct towards wielding a blade in some form or another. Thus, she began to train on improving her physical strength in order to make her zanpakutō as deadly in combat as any other. Ever since her graduation Tomoe has been exercising vigorously which has lead to some impressing results. On one occasion, she was able to beat (and humiliate) in an arm-wrestling contest, a victory which earned her a lot of laughter. During a prison uprising, Tomoe was seen subduing four men twice her size single-handedly, though it should be noted that the element of surprise was on her side. She was actually able to shatter the brick wall surrounding the back of the Nakatomi Manor's garden with a single palm strike, creating a hole large enough for her to fit through. Tomoe's greatest weakness in regards to her strength is that her body is not very durable, preventing her from rapidly expanding on the former and allowing opponents with equal might to best out in few hits. Enhanced Agility: Possibly her greatest asset, Tomoe's motions have always been noted to be "exceptionally fluid". What sets her apart from most other Shinigami who are proficient in this trade, is that Tomoe does not make use of any form of spiritual aid while she does this, everything being the product of her body alone. Despite her rather average skills otherwise, Tomoe's agility allows her to train along with the corps commanders when these focus on dodging, sneaking and general fitness. Her reflexes in particular are what distinguish her from most of her peers among the corps, as she is capable of avoiding attacks even if they are not within her vision and only so much as an arm's length away. Tomoe's agility allows her to beat superior opponents simply through outlasting them with her evading skills and continuous, small attacks. Tomoe has received criticism from her commander, however, that she is too reliant on this one capacity which leaves her helpless if the enemy can find a way around it and that she has to strengthen herself in other areas as well. : As she is stationed at the , where it is forbidden to carry a , Tomoe is required to be proficient in . Luckily for her, this was already one of her strong points before she joined the Detention Corps, as the nature of her zanpakutō made zanjutsu mean little to her. It is her main way of going into combat, regardless of her baton being available to her. Tomoe's style is one that prefers to fight at ultra-short distances, where most opponents are out of their comfort zone and she can cause maximum damage with her fists or her weapon. As her job is to subdue, rather than to kill or destroy, this is also reflected whenever she engages with her bare hands. Her hits are directed mostly at non-vital areas that restrict mobility or breathing, with her elbows and hands directed at causing blunt damage while her legs focus on bringing the opponent out of balance and onto the ground, where she can capture the opponent with on of various locks. When using her zanpakutō, Tomoe's attacking pattern becomes a lot more aggressive, assaulting her opponents in such a way that even if they should survive, they will suffer permanent damage. During a rare confrontation with a pack of Hollows, Tomoe's strikes were capable of causing enough blunt trauma to overwhelm even their . *' ' (鉄掌, Iron Palm): An open palm strike, designed to strike the target with brute force and cause maximum damage. It is actually very rare for Tomoe to use attacks of this vein, as she much rather prefers using her fists when engaging in hand-to-hand combat. However, she has shown quite the proficiency with this arguably basic technique, employing it in situations where she has the authority to kill rather than just suppress. Putting her left leg forward, she slams her open hand into the opponent, usually from very short range, in a straight then downward motion, generally causing major damage and throwing them to the ground, where they are more vulnerable to further attacks. True to its name, Tomoe can actually break metal constructs with this technique given the right circumstances, shown when she was able to crush a blocked cell door to prevent an inmate from committing suicide. It should be noted that this act also broke most of her fingers as well as her wrist, showing that she is still far from mastering it. **'Tesshin' (鉄心, Iron Heart): In a similar vein to and , Tesshin is an expansion of Tesshō that utilizes both hands instead of only one. It is one of the most powerful unarmed techniques Tomoe has in her arsenal and is often regarded as her "trump card". While Tomoe is still in the early stages of learning, even at what she stated what was only one tenth the force of the eventual product, it was capable of completely destroying an opposing in a single hit, at the cost of two dislocated shoulders. *' ' (竹蜻蛉, Bamboo Dragonfly): A very simple technique Tomoe often utilizes against protesting prisoners, the user employs a single-handed throw to flip the opponent on their back and knock the air out of their lungs, rendering them unable to move for a short period. It is a very "safe" hakuda technique in that it leaves most of Tomoe's body open to perform another task, such as preparing a follow-up strike or even fending off a second attacker. However, because only one hand is used, the technique can only really be used against weaker or off-guard targets, as otherwise it's just too easy to resist. *'Sukumekamu' (竦めかむ, Ducking Bite): A technique where Tomoe uses her baton to strike her opponent on the side of their body after having dodged an attack. It aims to lure the enemy into an attack where they utilize either of their arms before hitting them on their exposed side. It is a very effective technique in that it is easily capable of breaking the victim's rib cage when it connects, handicapping them for the rest of the battle. In addition, it functions very well against sword-wielding opponents, who often utilize wide swings which create various opportunities for a counter-attack. Sukumekamu makes use of the concept of maai, seeking out to exploit Tomoe's ability to function at ultra-short range where most zanpakutō prove to be ineffective. : Despite what one would expect from someone with her agility and an Omnitsukidō member at that, Tomoe has been unable to grasp the mechanics of Shunpo properly, leading to her usage of it being clumsy and unpractical. She used to practice daily in order to improve her Shunpo, but after showing no improvement even after months she became frustrated and became set on not making use of it at all in the future. Though her great agility somewhat remedies this inability within her daily activities, by order of her commander, she has taken up a private tutor to help her improve. : Ever since she was introduced to it at the Academy, Tomoe has been fascinated by kidō, using her early knowledge as a student to form various constructs out of her , such as butterflies and sparkling orbs which albeit their beauty were pretty useless. However, when it comes to utilizing kidō in a combat fashion Tomoe has shown to be severely lacking in skill, being unable to produce anything noteworthy beyond #21 in any of the disciplines. Lie Detection (嘘発見, Usohakken): Tomoe possesses a very unique ability, one that allowed her to be promoted from Sixteenth all the way to Seventh Seat despite not even knowing the name of her zanpakutō. Though she has owned this power from the moment her reiatsu manifested itself, she has only become aware of its true nature ever since her final year at the Shinō Academy and has only been able to make proper use of it once she was accepted into the First Division. Tomoe is able to automatically detect any form of lie she comes in contact with, as long as she is able to perceive it properly. It is not a skill that she needs to concentrate on for it to take place: during any conversation or even within any text she reads, Tomoe will recognize any lie she comes across as easily as she would determine that the sky is blue or that she is a woman. Not only that, but it seems that this gift of hers "strips away" anything that is untrue about a piece of information, but leaves any "piece of truth" intact. For example, if someone where to tell them they had stolen a certain amount of money but lie about the exact number, Tomoe would ascertain that they had in fact committed a theft but also know that the rest was mendacity. It is this power that earned Tomoe her rapid promotion and her spot among the Torture and Interrogation Unit, as it allows her to immediately discern if a target is lying or not during an interrogation procedure, saving the Detention Unit a lot of time and allowing them to pressure the liar that much more easily. Zanpakutō Tomoe has yet to discover the name of her zanpakutō. It is an issue she takes very seriously, as from all the people she graduated with from , she is the only one that has yet to achieve a proper Shikai. Before her unique ability came to light, the lack of Shikai meant she would have been unable to attain a Seated position within one of the Divisions were it not for the influence of her father. The latter also earned her a lot of ill will within the , where she was placed in, seeing as she did not show any particularly outstanding talents at that point. Tomoe is working hard to find out the name of her zanpakutō, but for it now it seems she is not quite adequate yet to control its power. *' :' Despite not knowing its name, Tomoe's zanpakutō is constantly in its released state, much like the late 's . It has a very unusual shape, taking the form of a metal expendable baton, much like the one used in real-world law enforcement and riot control. Due to its unorthodox appearance, it is often underestimated by Tomoe's opponents, but even though its not capable of cutting, it has been shown to be a very dangerous weapon in the right hands, easily shattering bones and inflicting great amounts of blunt trauma. Why Tomoe's zanpakutō is in this state has long been a mystery, since Tomoe does not possess the overwhelming amount of reiatsu normally required to establish such a situation. It has been theorized, however, that it is likely due to the nature of her zanpakutō's abilities and that it may have something do with her truth-telling. *' :' Not Yet Achieved Trivia *Tomoe's name is derived from two sources: Tomoe Gozen, a legendary samurai woman, on one hand and the Nakatomi clan on another. *Her appearance is based on D4 from the Alive: The Final Evolution series.